Departmental Occupational Health

Eric Pickles: To ask the Prime Minister further to page 52 of the Cabinet Office Annual Report and Accounts 2007-08, whether a reflection room has been provided for those working in Downing Street offices as part of the Cabinet Office well-being measures.

Gordon Brown: No.

Ministerial Policy Advisers

Mark Hoban: To ask the Prime Minister pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Lewes of 14 July 2008,  Official Report, columns 20-1W, on Ministerial policy advisers, if he will place in the Library a copy of the guidelines on allowances and subsistence.

Gordon Brown: Guidelines on allowances and subsistence are a matter for the relevant Government Department.

Departmental Surveillance

James Duddridge: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many applications  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies have made under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 to (i) undertake directed surveillance, (ii) use covert human intelligence sources, (iii) acquire communications data and (iv) undertake intrusive surveillance in the last 24 months.

Jack Straw: I refer the hon. Member to my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister's written ministerial statement on 22 July 2008,  Official Report, columns 110-11WS. The Government's approach are to neither confirm nor deny the extent to which use is made of these powers. The Chief Surveillance Commissioner and Interception of Communications Commissioner does however provide statistics of all covert activity authorised under Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA) in their annual reports, which were laid before both Houses of Parliament on 22 July 2008.

Young Offenders: Sentencing

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what proportion of custodial sentences imposed on people aged 18 years or under was as proposed in the pre-sentence report prepared by the local youth offending team (YOT) in each YOT area in each month between March 2006 and March 2007.

David Hanson: The Government have developed a range of sentences that are designed to offer courts a robust alternative to custody. The decision on the most appropriate type of disposal given to a young person is ultimately for the court to make.
	The data requested, which is collected by the Youth Justice Board on a quarterly basis, is shown in the following tables.
	
		
			   Quarter 
			   April to June 2006  July to September 2006 
			  YOT  Occasions custody proposed in the pre-sentence report  Custodial sentence imposed  Percentage  Occasions custody proposed in the pre-sentence report  Custodial sentence imposed  Percentage 
			 Barking and Dagenham 0 7 0 1 11 9 
			 Barnet 2 2 100 3 11 27 
			 Barnsley 0 6 0 0 5 0 
			 Bath and North East Somerset 0 2 0 0 2 0 
			 Bedfordshire 2 4 50 1 4 25 
			 Bexley 4 11 36 1 9 11 
			 Birmingham 16 47 34 11 37 30 
			 Blackburn with Darwen 0 5 0 1 1 100 
			 Blackpool 0 5 0 1 6 17 
			 Blaenau, Gwent and Caerphilly 3 6 50 3 7 43 
			 Bolton 6 13 46 5 8 63 
			 Bournemouth and Poole 0 2 0 1 7 14 
			 Bracknell Forest 0 0 n/a 3 3 100 
			 Bradford 5 12 42 1 10 10 
			 Brent 2 2 100 0 5 0 
			 Bridgend 0 1 0 1 5 20 
			 Brighton and Hove 0 1 0 3 5 60 
			 Bristol 1 5 20 1 8 13 
			 Bromley 2 2 100 0 0 n/a 
			 Buckinghamshire 0 2 0 3 6 50 
			 Bury 1 4 25 1 4 25 
			 Calderdale 0 1 0 1 2 50 
			 Cambridgeshire 0 6 0 0 4 0 
			 Camden 0 0 n/a 0 0 n/a 
			 Cardiff 1 9 11 1 13 8 
			 Carmarthenshire 2 4 50 5 7 71 
			 Ceredigion 0 0 n/a 0 1 0 
			 Cheshire 1 6 17 7 22 32 
			 Conwy and Denbighshire 2 2 100 6 8 75 
			 Cornwall 1 2 50 0 1 0 
			 Coventry 4 19 21 1 14 7 
			 Croydon 3 9 33 6 8 75 
			 Cumbria 0 3 0 0 4 0 
			 Darlington 0 2 0 0 0 n/a 
			 Derby 3 7 43 3 10 30 
			 Derbyshire 1 14 7 1 8 13 
			 Devon 0 2 0 0 2 0 
			 Doncaster 3 5 60 1 5 20 
			 Dorset 1 3 33 1 2 50 
			 Dudley 0 3 0 0 3 0 
			 Durham 4 2 200 2 5 40 
			 Ealing 0 6 0 2 2 100 
			 East Riding of Yorkshire 0 0 n/a 1 3 33 
			 East Sussex 5 8 63 3 5 60 
			 Enfield 1 9 11 0 10 0 
			 Essex 0 8 0 1 8 13 
			 Flintshire 0 0 n/a 0 2 0 
			 Gateshead 3 5 60 1 4 25 
			 Gloucestershire 2 5 40 2 6 33 
			 Greenwich 0 2 0 2 0 n/a 
			 Gwynedd Mon 7 7 100 5 5 100 
			 Hackney 5 21 24 1 10 10 
			 Halton and Warrington 1 3 33 0 5 0 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 0 7 0 0 3 0 
			 Haringey 2 4 50 1 5 20 
			 Harrow 1 4 25 0 2 0 
			 Hartlepool 0 1 0 1 5 20 
			 Havering 0 4 0 1 3 33 
			 Hertfordshire 1 3 33 3 7 43 
			 Hillingdon 1 2 50 1 4 25 
			 Hounslow 0 6 0 1 4 25 
			 Islington 1 3 33 0 4 0 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 0 3 0 1 2 50 
			 Kent 3 12 25 7 17 41 
			 Kingston-upon-Hull 0 7 0 0 10 0 
			 Kingston-upon-Thames 0 0 n/a 0 0 n/a 
			 Kirklees 3 24 13 5 16 31 
			 Knowsley 1 5 20 0 2 0 
			 Lambeth 0 16 0 1 12 8 
			 Lancashire 9 29 31 12 19 63 
			 Leeds 2 23 9 1 13 8 
			 Leicester City 3 8 38 4 8 50 
			 Leicestershire 1 5 20 0 4 0 
			 Lewisham 1 4 25 1 3 33 
			 Lincolnshire 0 4 0 3 2 150 
			 Liverpool 1 22 5 2 21 10 
			 Luton 1 2 50 1 5 20 
			 Manchester 7 26 27 8 36 22 
			 Medway 0 0 n/a 0 0 n/a 
			 Merthyr Tydfil 0 2 0 0 3 0 
			 Merton 0 2 0 0 0 n/a 
			 Milton Keynes 2 5 40 1 2 50 
			 Monmouthshire and Torfaen 0 1 0 2 4 50 
			 Neath Port Talbot 0 2 0 2 5 40 
			 Newcastle-upon-Tyne 3 4 75 1 4 25 
			 Newham 2 8 25 2 8 25 
			 Newport 1 11 9 4 9 44 
			 Norfolk 0 2 0 0 0 n/a 
			 North East Lincolnshire 9 10 90 7 8 88 
			 North Lincolnshire 2 8 25 0 2 0 
			 North Somerset 0 0 n/a 0 0 n/a 
			 North Tyneside 0 2 0 1 6 17 
			 North Yorkshire 3 9 33 2 6 33 
			 Northamptonshire 3 18 17 2 11 18 
			 Northumberland 1 4 25 0 4 0 
			 Nottingham 4 13 31 27 33 82 
			 Nottinghamshire 7 14 50 3 11 27 
			 Oldham 5 7 71 3 7 43 
			 Oxfordshire 0 2 0 0 2 0 
			 Pembrokeshire 0 0 n/a 1 2 50 
			 Peterborough 2 4 50 0 6 0 
			 Plymouth 1 3 33 0 3 0 
			 Powys 0 0 n/a 2 2 100 
			 Reading and Wokingham 4 7 57 4 5 80 
			 Redbridge 0 5 0 1 3 33 
			 Rhondda Cynon Taff 0 3 0 0 0 n/a 
			 Richmond-upon-Thames 0 1 0 0 0 n/a 
			 Rochdale 1 8 13 0 7 0 
			 Rotherham 0 2 0 0 6 0 
			 Salford 2 10 20 2 8 25 
			 Sandwell 3 5 60 4 9 44 
			 Sefton 1 6 17 2 8 25 
			 Sheffield 7 9 78 2 14 14 
			 Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin 0 2 0 1 6 17 
			 Slough 0 1 0 2 2 100 
			 Solihull 0 0 n/a 0 7 0 
			 Somerset 0 0 n/a 0 2 0 
			 South Gloucestershire 0 1 0 0 0 n/a 
			 South Tees 1 4 25 1 7 14 
			 South Tyneside 2 5 40 3 3 100 
			 Southend-on-Sea 0 4 0 3 6 50 
			 Southwark 1 5 20 0 14 0 
			 St. Helens 2 3 67 1 1 100 
			 Staffordshire 0 8 0 2 10 20 
			 Stockport 1 1 100 2 4 50 
			 Stockton-on-Tees 0 2 0 1 2 50 
			 Stoke-on-Trent 4 10 40 4 14 29 
			 Suffolk 4 10 40 4 8 50 
			 Sunderland 3 5 60 8 9 89 
			 Surrey 4 12 33 0 0 n/a 
			 Sutton 0 4 0 0 2 0 
			 Swansea 9 9 100 5 5 100 
			 Swindon 0 1 0 1 3 33 
			 Tameside 2 9 22 3 8 38 
			 Thurrock 3 4 75 8 9 89 
			 Torbay 0 0 n/a 1 0 n/a 
			 Tower Hamlets and City of London 0 2 0 0 9 0 
			 Trafford 3 8 38 8 8 100 
			 Vale of Glamorgan 1 1 100 0 0 n/a 
			 Wakefield 0 4 0 0 6 0 
			 Walsall 0 7 0 0 4 0 
			 Waltham Forest 3 6 50 7 9 78 
			 Wandsworth 2 10 20 2 13 15 
			 Warwickshire 2 9 22 4 5 80 
			 Wessex 4 42 10 5 31 16 
			 West Berkshire 0 0 n/a 0 1 0 
			 West Sussex 1 5 20 2 6 33 
			 Westminster 3 7 43 0 1 0 
			 Wigan 0 7 0 0 5 0 
			 Wiltshire 0 0 n/a 0 1 0 
			 Windsor and Maidenhead 0 2 0 0 1 0 
			 Wirral 1 6 17 1 7 14 
			 Wolverhampton 0 4 0 0 3 0 
			 Worcestershire and Herefordshire 2 5 40 1 11 9 
			 Wrexham 1 3 33 2 4 50 
			 York 1 2 50 0 2 0 
			 Total 255 953 27 305 987 31 
		
	
	
		
			   Quarter 
			   October  to  December  2006  January  to  March  200 7 
			  YOT  Occasions custody proposed in the pre-sentence report  Custodial sentence imposed  Percentage  Occasions custody proposed in the pre-sentence report  Custodial sentence imposed  Percentage 
			 Barking and Dagenham 0 8 0 1 3 33 
			 Barnet 1 2 50 1 1 100 
			 Barnsley 2 6 33 0 8 0 
			 Bath and North East Somerset 0 3 0 0 1 0 
			 Bedfordshire 1 4 25 0 5 0 
			 Bexley 1 5 20 0 3 0 
			 Birmingham 9 38 24 5 21 24 
			 Blackburn with Darwen 0 4 0 2 4 50 
			 Blackpool 1 12 8 3 5 60 
			 Blaenau, Gwent and Caerphilly 1 5 20 1 4 25 
			 Bolton 1 9 11 3 7 43 
			 Bournemouth and Poole 0 1 0 2 2 100 
			 Bracknell Forest 0 1 0 0 0 n/a 
			 Bradford 4 8 50 7 15 47 
			 Brent 0 1 0 0 2 0 
			 Bridgend 2 5 40 0 1 0 
			 Brighton and Hove 1 2 50 1 5 20 
			 Bristol 0 6 0 0 7 0 
			 Bromley 0 1 0 0 3 0 
			 Buckinghamshire 3 4 75 1 2 50 
			 Bury 2 7 29 1 3 33 
			 Calderdale 2 4 50 0 5 0 
			 Cambridgeshire 0 3 0 1 3 33 
			 Camden 0 8 0 0 6 0 
			 Cardiff 2 11 18 0 13 0 
			 Carmarthenshire 0 0 n/a 3 4 75 
			 Ceredigion 0 0 n/a 0 0 n/a 
			 Cheshire 5 13 38 4 9 44 
			 Conwy and Denbighshire 1 2 50 0 2 0 
			 Cornwall 0 0 n/a 0 0 n/a 
			 Coventry 1 7 14 2 14 14 
			 Croydon 2 3 67 0 3 0 
			 Cumbria 2 4 50 1 16 6 
			 Darlington 1 1 100 1 1 100 
			 Derby 5 7 71 3 7 43 
			 Derbyshire 1 15 7 1 12 8 
			 Devon 0 4 0 0 4 0 
			 Doncaster 0 6 0 3 10 30 
			 Dorset 0 2 0 1 2 50 
			 Dudley 0 2 0 0 2 0 
			 Durham 0 0 n/a 3 6 50 
			 Ealing 1 4 25 0 2 0 
			 East Riding of Yorkshire 2 4 50 0 1 0 
			 East Sussex 1 2 50 1 5 20 
			 Enfield 1 7 14 6 9 67 
			 Essex 1 6 17 3 7 43 
			 Flintshire 2 1 200 2 7 29 
			 Gateshead 2 3 67 1 1 100 
			 Gloucestershire 3 7 43 2 7 29 
			 Greenwich 1 3 33 1 5 20 
			 Gwynedd Mon 0 2 0 3 3 100 
			 Hackney 6 9 67 0 11 0 
			 Halton and Warrington 0 7 0 2 4 50 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 1 3 33 0 5 0 
			 Haringey 2 5 40 3 9 33 
			 Harrow 0 2 0 2 3 67 
			 Hartlepool 1 1 100 2 3 67 
			 Havering 0 7 0 0 3 0 
			 Hertfordshire 0 4 0 4 7 57 
			 Hillingdon 0 5 0 0 5 0 
			 Hounslow 3 5 60 0 1 0 
			 Islington 0 7 0 0 4 0 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 1 5 20 1 2 50 
			 Kent 8 23 35 8 15 53 
			 Kingston-upon-Hull 0 10 0 1 10 10 
			 Kingston-upon-Thames 4 4 100 1 0 n/a 
			 Kirklees 3 15 20 6 13 46 
			 Knowsley 2 3 67 0 2 0 
			 Lambeth 3 14 21 3 14 21 
			 Lancashire 13 27 48 9 15 60 
			 Leeds 0 8 0 1 8 13 
			 Leicester City 1 3 33 0 3 0 
			 Leicestershire 1 5 20 5 10 50 
			 Lewisham 0 3 0 0 1 0 
			 Lincolnshire 2 3 67 3 3 100 
			 Liverpool 0 19 0 0 16 0 
			 Luton 2 2 100 1 2 50 
			 Manchester 16 51 31 10 38 26 
			 Medway 1 1 100 0 5 0 
			 Merthyr Tydfil 0 3 0 0 2 0 
			 Merton 3 6 50 0 4 0 
			 Milton Keynes 0 1 0 2 6 33 
			 Monmouthshire and Torfaen 1 2 50 0 0 n/a 
			 Neath Port Talbot 1 3 33 0 1 0 
			 Newcastle-upon-Tyne 2 6 33 5 8 63 
			 Newham 2 3 67 1 12 8 
			 Newport 3 8 38 0 4 0 
			 Norfolk 1 2 50 2 4 50 
			 North East Lincolnshire 8 13 62 3 7 43 
			 North Lincolnshire 3 2 150 4 12 33 
			 North Somerset 1 2 50 1 3 33 
			 North Tyneside 1 4 25 0 2 0 
			 North Yorkshire 3 7 43 2 11 18 
			 Northamptonshire 1 9 11 1 18 6 
			 Northumberland 1 3 33 4 6 67 
			 Nottingham 16 22 73 12 21 57 
			 Nottinghamshire 3 6 50 9 14 64 
			 Oldham 1 5 20 1 5 20 
			 Oxfordshire 0 2 0 0 5 0 
			 Pembrokeshire 0 0 n/a 0 0 n/a 
			 Peterborough 2 3 67 5 15 33 
			 Plymouth 0 2 0 0 0 n/a 
			 Powys 0 0 n/a 0 0 n/a 
			 Reading and Wokingham 3 4 75 0 4 0 
			 Redbridge 0 6 0 4 8 50 
			 Rhondda Cynon Taff 0 8 0 0 5 0 
			 Richmond-upon-Thames 0 1 0 0 0 n/a 
			 Rochdale 2 9 22 0 5 0 
			 Rotherham 0 8 0 0 5 0 
			 Salford 2 12 17 1 8 13 
			 Sandwell 4 7 57 4 8 50 
			 Sefton 3 9 33 2 7 29 
			 Sheffield 2 11 18 1 9 11 
			 Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin 0 5 0 0 1 0 
			 Slough 1 4 25 0 5 0 
			 Solihull 0 1 0 0 0 n/a 
			 Somerset 0 0 n/a 0 0 n/a 
			 South Gloucestershire 0 2 0 1 2 50 
			 South Tees 0 3 0 0 0 n/a 
			 South Tyneside 0 6 0 4 4 100 
			 Southend-on-Sea 0 1 0 1 2 50 
			 Southwark 1 10 10 3 9 33 
			 St. Helens 0 4 0 0 4 0 
			 Staffordshire 1 2 50 0 7 0 
			 Stockport 5 8 63 5 6 83 
			 Stockton-on-Tees 0 2 0 2 4 50 
			 Stoke-on-Trent 2 6 33 4 8 50 
			 Suffolk 0 5 0 3 11 27 
			 Sunderland 0 2 0 0 0 n/a 
			 Surrey 0 4 0 4 6 67 
			 Sutton 1 2 50 0 0 n/a 
			 Swansea 3 4 75 3 4 75 
			 Swindon 0 2 0 0 1 0 
			 Tameside 1 5 20 4 4 100 
			 Thurrock 2 2 100 4 6 67 
			 Torbay 3 3 100 1 2 50 
			 Tower Hamlets and City of London 1 12 8 0 4 0 
			 Trafford 2 3 67 3 5 60 
			 Vale of Glamorgan 1 2 50 2 2 100 
			 Wakefield 0 6 0 0 9 0 
			 Walsall 0 1 0 0 7 0 
			 Waltham Forest 5 6 83 5 5 100 
			 Wandsworth 6 9 67 0 6 0 
			 Warwickshire 2 7 29 0 5 0 
			 Wessex 6 33 18 6 24 25 
			 West Berkshire 0 0 n/a 0 3 0 
			 West Sussex 1 4 25 1 4 25 
			 Westminster 1 2 50 0 1 0 
			 Wigan 0 6 0 0 6 0 
			 Wiltshire 0 1 0 0 1 0 
			 Windsor and Maidenhead 0 0 n/a 0 0 n/a 
			 Wirral 0 12 0 0 9 0 
			 Wolverhampton 3 3 100 3 9 33 
			 Worcestershire and Herefordshire 2 6 33 1 8 13 
			 Wrexham 4 6 67 3 2 150 
			 York 0 0 n/a 0 0 n/a 
			 Total 258 905 29 259 895 29

Israel: EU External Relations

Phyllis Starkey: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps his Department plans to take to ensure that information shared between the EU and Israel under the Co-operation in Justice and Home Affairs Initiative of the EU-Israel Association Council has not been obtained in circumstances which would be defined as torture in UK law.

Bill Rammell: The UK abides by its commitments under international law, including the UN Convention Against Torture and expects all other countries to comply with their international obligations.
	We have made it clear that all intelligence received from foreign sources, in whatever forum, is carefully evaluated, particularly where it is clear it has been obtained from individuals in detention.

Armed Forces: Food

Philip Dunne: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what proportion of  (a) lamb,  (b) beef,  (c) pork and  (d) chicken supplied to the armed forces came from livestock reared in the UK in the latest period for which figures are available.

Bob Ainsworth: Under the MOD single food supply contract, 100 per cent. of pork and gammon, and 55 per cent. of beef is sourced from the UK. Of the poultry requirement, up to 15 per cent. is sourced from the UK, although 100 per cent. of turkeys are British, and an initiative has been launched to increase the number of British chickens procured. Recently the amount of British lamb procured has increased from 9 per cent. to 19 per cent., and MOD continues to look for opportunities to increase this further while still achieving best value for money. Figures for food procured under the Pay as You Dine project, which now accounts for more than 50 per cent. of troops fed, are not held centrally, although these contractors are also required, wherever competitive, to give full consideration to procuring British products.

Departmental Data Protection

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many notifications  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies made to the Information Commissioner following the loss or mishandling of personal information or data in each of the last three years; and what was notified in each case.

Bob Ainsworth: The Ministry of Defence including its agencies has published details of the personal data related incidents notified to the Information Commissioner's Office in 2007-08 in its Annual Report and Accounts published on 21 July 2008. Two such incidents were notified.
	During 2005-06 the Department formally reported one incident of accidental disclosure of protected personal data to the Information Commissioner's Office.
	As a result of a limited failure by an automatic mailing machine, three members of the Army Regular or Long Term Reserve received copies of letters containing personal details of other reservists': name and address; next of kin name and address; marital status and date of marriage; the name and nationality of spouse; and bank account number, account title and sort code.
	Letters of apology were sent to the reservists whose personal data was disclosed without consent.
	I refer the hon. Member to the statement made by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster on 25 June 2008, providing the final report on measures for data handling procedures in Government.

Helicopters: Sales

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many  (a) Royal Navy,  (b) Royal Air Force and  (c) army helicopters have been sold by his Department to foreign governments since April 2002.

Quentin Davies: Since April 2002 the Disposal Services Authority has sold three Sea King helicopters to Australia in financial year 2005-06. They were not in an airworthy condition and were sold for spares recovery through Agusta Westland under a Commercial Marketing Agreement.

Council Housing: Empty Property

Jacqui Lait: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar of 1 July 2008,  Official Report, column 791W, on housing: empty property, what proportion of the dwellings in each Government Office region were empty public sector dwellings in both years.

Iain Wright: The term public sector has been interpreted to mean "social rented" dwellings i.e. local authority and registered social landlord owned dwellings.
	The following tables show the level of social rented vacancies against the level of total vacancies in both 2006 and 2007. These tables show all vacancies, both long and short term.
	
		
			  Dwelling vacancies in 2006 (long and short term vacancies) 
			   Total empty domestic dwellings as at 9 October 2006( 1)  Local authority vacancies as at 1 April 2006( 2)  Registered social landlord vacancies as at 31 March 2006( 3)  Total social vacancies  Percentage of total vacancies that are social rent 
			 NE 48,287 4,340 3,236 7,576 16 
			 NW 136,783 6,295 7,947 14,242 10 
			 YH 90,947 6,142 2,882 9,024 10 
			 EM 65,495 4,294 1,244 5,538 8 
			 WM 79,208 3,923 4,550 8,473 11 
			 E 68,485 3,105 1,868 4,973 7 
			 L 86,701 10,107 4,405 14,512 17 
			 SE 102,812 2,780 2,471 5,251 5 
			 SW 69,441 1,887 1,567 3,454 5 
			 England 748,159 42,873 30,170 73,043 10 
		
	
	
		
			  Dwelling vacancies in 2007 (long and short term vacancies) 
			   Total empty domestic dwellings as at 8 October 2007( 1)  Local authority vacancies as at 1 April 2007( 2)  Registered social landlord vacancies as at 31 March 2007( 3)  Total social vacancies  Percentage of total vacancies that are social rent 
			 NE 48,066 4,311 3,126 7,437 15 
			 NW 141,060 6,441 7,822 14,263 10 
			 YH 101,035 5,777 3,673 9,450 9 
			 EM 69,805 3,962 987 4,949 7 
			 WM 80,359 3,208 4,532 7,740 10 
			 E 69,072 2,496 1,766 4,262 6 
			 L 84,596 9,846 4,651 14,497 17 
			 SE 101,761 3,075 2,602 5,677 6 
			 SW 66,881 1,847 1,614 3,461 5 
			 England 762,635 40,963 30,773 71,736 9 
			 (1) Council Taxbase and Council Taxbase Supplementary (CTB1 and CTB1S) returns from local authorities. Figures are reported as at October in each year. (2) Local authority vacancies reported by local authorities to Communities and Local Government through the Housing Strategy Statistical Appendix (HSSA). Figures are reported as at 1 April in each year. (3) Registered social landlord vacancies as reported by registered social landlords to the Housing Corporation through the Regulatory Statistical Return. Figures are reported as at 31 March in each year.

Local Authorities: Public Participation

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent steps the Government has taken to give the general public greater access to information on how their local authority is being run.

John Healey: Information about the national indicators and other local area data is currently publicly available on the Floor Targets Interactive website
	http://www.fti.communities.gov.uk/fti/.
	This enables citizens to compare performance between local authority areas and measure progress over time.
	We are also working with local government to develop more effective provision by councils of timely performance and service information to their citizens. As part of this work we will be supporting, from late 2008, a range of pilot projects in local authorities to evaluate innovative techniques to empower citizens through information provision.
	In addition to this, the Audit Commission and public service inspectorates are currently consulting and trialling their proposed methodology for the new comprehensive area assessment (CAA), which will replace the current comprehensive performance assessment from April 2009.
	The CAA will assess and publicly report performance against all local area agreement targets, other local priorities and all 196 indicators in the national indicator set, taking into account the experiences of local people and their satisfaction with local services. The reports, which are being designed to give the public access to information on the effectiveness of local delivery, are due to be published for the first time in November 2009.
	Lastly, we are reviewing actions to give local people clearer information on councils' performance on efficiency. Under proposals out to consultation, we would require councils to include standard, simple measures of efficiency performance alongside council tax demand notices.

Students: Finance

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what recent steps his Department has taken to improve access to bursaries and other assistance for students from low income backgrounds to enable them to complete undergraduate degree studies.

David Lammy: Universities are required to pay a minimum bursary to all students receiving the maximum maintenance grant. Most institutions are offering more than the minimum. The typical bursary in 2008-09 is around £1,000 per year.
	The great majority of those entitled to bursaries are either applying to their university for funding, or are the subject of an automatic notification of eligibility from the Student Loans Company to their university because they had given consent to the sharing of financial data.
	To further improve take up, Department officials have worked closely with the Student Loans Company and other stakeholders to improve the bursary consent arrangements on the 2008-09 student finance application form.
	The introduction of an 'opt out' clause, giving both the student and their sponsor an opportunity to opt out of consenting to their personal information being shared with universities for bursary purposes, is expected to increase the numbers of students assessed for and receiving bursaries. Clear guidance states that a decision to opt out of sharing data with universities does not affect entitlement to other forms of support.
	Promotional materials have been issued to raise awareness of the availability of bursaries and encourage students to seek further information from institutions. The Government-sponsored directgov website also provides students with a bursary map, permitting them to carry out an online search of institutional bursaries.
	In addition, students in financial difficulty during their course can apply for additional help through the Government-funded Access to Learning Fund (ALF). ALF is a discretionary fund administered directly by individual higher education institutions which are best placed to assess their students' circumstances.
	The latest figures show that acceptances to universities for England are at an all-time high, with the proportion of applicants from lower socio-economic groups also up. The current package of student support means that anyone who can benefit from higher education has the opportunity to do so. This Government have brought back non-repayable grants and greatly expanded the numbers who get them. This autumn, around two-thirds of full-time eligible students will qualify for non-repayable grants of up to £2,835 a year. Full-time students can also apply for loans to meet their tuition fees and to help with living costs.

Railways: Construction

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate she has made of the average cost per mile of new high speed rail track construction.

Paul Clark: According to the 2003 Strategic Rail Authority report on high-speed rail, the average cost for the channel tunnel rail link (CTRL) section one was £19 million per route-kilometre, although this excludes some major cost items associated with station works and sunk costs. The report considered that section of the CTRL characteristic of a high-speed line extending north from London. If costs for CTRL sections one and two are included, the average cost of the CTRL was £48 million per route-kilometre including tunnelling.
	Precise costs vary depending on a number of factors including the route, whether construction is on a disused railway alignment or built on green fields and the need for major works such as tunnelling. Costs of operation and maintenance must also be considered. Average costs do not therefore tell the whole story, but recent work for the Department for Transport suggested a new double track high-speed rail line might cost £12-16 million per route-kilometre.
	Network Rail recently announced a strategic review of the case for new rail lines. The study is expected to be complete next summer.

South West Trains: Tickets

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if she will make it her policy to oppose the plans by South West Trains to reduce ticket office opening hours at 114 stations, following the August 2008 report from Passenger Focus; and if she will make a statement.

Paul Clark: The procedures for making changes to ticket office opening hours are set down in the Ticketing and Settlement Agreement (TSA). The TSA permits operators to make changes to the opening hours of their ticket offices as long as the appropriate specified criteria are met.
	If objections are raised and not resolved, the TSA provides for an arbitration process to be followed. This can include referral by the train operating company to the Secretary of State for Transport for a decision. It would therefore be inappropriate for the Secretary of State to comment on the proposed changes at this stage.

Voluntary Work

David Evennett: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of Government programmes to encourage voluntary work.

Kevin Brennan: There have been a range of Government programmes that have encouraged and supported volunteering. The statistics from the 2007-08 Citizenship Survey show that the proportion of people that volunteered at least once in the last 12 months remains high at 73 per cent. of all adults.

Disabled

Mark Harper: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many and what proportion of staff in  (a) his Department and  (b) the executive agencies for which he is responsible are disabled; and what the average salary in his (i) Department and (ii) executive agencies is of (A) full-time disabled staff, (B) full-time non-disabled staff, (C) part-time disabled staff and (D) part-time non-disabled staff.

Tom Watson: The civil service is committed to reflecting the society we serve at all levels—clearly, this includes disabled people. The recently published "Promoting Equality, Valuing Diversity—A Strategy for the Civil Service" builds on what has already been achieved and sets out what the civil service wants to achieve in equality and diversity in employment over the next three to five years. The document is available on the civil service website at:
	http://www.civilservice.gov.uk/news/2008/july/17_07_08_diversity.asp.
	The following table shows the median earnings of disabled staff, broken down by full-time and part-time working patterns for all Departments and agencies. Further data on the disabled status of civil service staff are available on the Office for National Statistics (ONS) website:
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/StatBase/Product.asp?vlnk=2899&Pos=&ColRank=1&Rank=422.
	
		
			  Median income by government department, disability status and working pattern; 30 September 2007( 1, 2, 7) 
			   Full-time  Part-time( 3) 
			   Declared disabled  Declared non-disabled  Declared Disabled  Declared non-disabled 
			  Attorney General's Departments 
			 Crown Prosecution Service 29,050 26,080 25,500 24,600 
			 Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate (4)— 21,390 0 0 
			 Legal Secretariat to the Law Officers 0 22,700 0 0 
			 Revenue and Customs Prosecution Office 27,530 27,500 0 26,420 
			 Serious Fraud Office 24,570 29,890 0 25,440 
			 Treasury Solicitor 24,600 43,460 (4)— 54,350 
			  
			  Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform 
			 Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform 26,230 28,360 26,380 23,800 
			 Advisory Conciliation and Arbitration Service 29,870 (4)— (4)— 0 
			 Companies House 17,430 17,430 17,430 17,430 
			 Insolvency Service (4)— (4)— 0 0 
			 Office of Fair Trading 23,710 31,960 0 46,320 
			 Office of Gas and Electricity Market (4)— 38,720 0 32,320 
			 Postal Services Commission (4)— 34,640 0 (4)— 
			  
			  Cabinet Office 
			 Cabinet Office (excl. agencies) 25,680 27,810 (4)— 24,440 
			  
			  Other Cabinet Office agencies 
			 Central Office of Information 32,260 36,000 (4)— 37,700 
			 National School of Government (4)— 26,990 (4)— 20,260 
			 Parliamentary Counsel Office (4)— 76,430 0 (4)— 
			  
			  HM Treasury 
			 HM Treasury 24,830 28,800 (4)— 26,980 
			  
			  HM Revenue and Customs 
			 HM Revenue and Customs 18,720 22,910 18,720 18,720 
			 Valuation Office 22,010 22,780 15,770 18,260 
			  
			  Chancellor's other departments 
			 Debt Management Office 0 49,350 0 33,290 
			 Government Actuary's Department 0 42,600 0 (4)— 
			 National Savings and investments (4)— 39,990 0 26,820 
			 Office of Government Commerce 48,210 42,020 0 0 
			 OGCbuying Solutions (4)— 26,920 0 21,690 
			 Office for National Statistics(5) 22,980 22,980 17,280 17,350 
			 Royal Mint 37,000 18,040 0 15,500 
			  
			  Charity Commission 
			 Charity Commission 22,020 25,400 21,670 22,020 
			  
			  Children, Schools and Families 
			 Department for Children, Schools and Families(6) 28,270 30,040 29,780 25,590 
			  
			  Innovation, Universities and Skills 
			 Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills(6) 27,670 31,300 28,130 25,920 
			 National Weights and Measures Laboratory (4)— 33,260 0 22,490 
			 UK Intellectual Property Office 0 23,210 0 17,430 
			  
			  Office for Standards In Education 
			 Office for Standards in Education 29,890 33,270 26,130 20,090 
			  
			  Communities and Local Government 
			 Department for Communities and Local Government (excl agencies) 4 27,670 29,670 31,410 29,860 
			 Fire Service College (4)— 21,220 0 15,940 
			 Ordnance Survey 25,000 25,010 (4)— 24,160 
			 Planning Inspectorate 18,290 26,880 (4)— 45,040 
			 Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre 0 29,980 0 (4)— 
			  
			  Culture, Media and Sport 
			 Department for Culture Media and Sport(6) 24,720 29,410 (4)— 30,880 
			 Royal Parks (4)— 28,140 0 (4)— 
			  
			  Defence 
			 Ministry of Defence 20,550 21,320 18,710 19,320 
			 Royal Fleet Auxiliary 0 (4)— 0 (4)— 
			 Army Base Repair Organisation 19,900 19,900 (4)— 15,470 
			 Defence Aviation Repair Agency 23,100 23,100 (4)— 20,900 
			 Defence Science and Technology Laboratory 28,840 32,480 23,150 32,350 
			 Met Office 26,950 28,180 (4)— 30,690 
			 UK Hydrographic Office n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			  
			  Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
			 Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (excl agencies) 4 27,420 28,900 21,890 28,840 
			 Centre for Environment Fisheries and Aquaculture Science 19,620 24,400 (4)— 23,160 
			 Central Science Laboratory 23,330 24,470 0 20,550 
			 Government Decontamination Services (4)— 25,800 0 18,410 
			 Marine and Fisheries Agency 25,330 24,440 (4)— 14,920 
			 Office of Water Services (4)— 25,000 (4)— 23,090 
			 Pesticides Safety Directorate 18,940 28,120 (4)— 28,620 
			 Rural Payments Agency 19,260 21,190 18,690 19,260 
			 Animal Health 18,550 23,010 18,120 23,780 
			 Veterinary Laboratories Agency 19,080 22,380 18,530 20,260 
			 Veterinary Medicines Directorate (4)— 28,520 (4)— 22,530 
			  
			  Export Credits Guarantee Department 
			 Export Credit Guarantee Department 27,400 33,300 (4)— 31,650 
			  
			  Foreign and Commonwealth Office 
			 Foreign and Commonwealth Office (excl agencies) 25,610 29,660 16,910 26,630 
			 Wilton Park Executive Agency n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			  
			  Health 
			 Department of Health (excl agencies)(6) 35,360 39,240 30,670 37,400 
			 Food Standards Agency 26,820 29,150 (4)— 29,930 
			 Meat Hygiene Service 23,840 21,820 (4)— 21,820 
			 Medical and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency 41,280 33,340 (4)— 38,230 
			 National Healthcare Purchasing and Supplies (4)— 34,840 (4)— 32,550 
			 NHS Business Services Authority (CM Service only) 15,950 15,950 (4)— 15,950 
			  
			  Home Office 
			 Home Office (excl agencies)(6) 21,730 32,480 15,860 20,890 
			 Assets Recovery Agency (4)— 30,310 0 23,470 
			 Border and Immigration Agency 24,680 24,680 20,190 19,750 
			 Criminal Records Bureau 15,470 19,140 (4)— 18,920 
			 Identity and Passport Service 17,270 15,480 15,300 13,720 
			 Office for Security and Counter-Terrorism (4)— 35,960 0 42,890 
			  
			  Justice 
			 Ministry of Justice (excl. agencies) 26,810 30,200 28,370 28,840 
			 HM Courts Service 18,480 18,870 16,790 16,980 
			 Land Registry 20,240 22,370 20,240 20,760 
			 National Archives 23,110 23,740 (4)— 16,590 
			 Public Guardianship Office 21,080 23,760 (4)— 20,810 
			 Tribunals Service 17,500 17,680 16,980 17,180 
			 Scotland Office 0 21,800 0 0 
			 Wales Office (4)— 28,440 0 (4)— 
			 Public Sector Prison Service 23,870 22,670 16,980 17,200 
			  
			  International Development 
			 Department for International Development n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			  
			  Northern Ireland Office 
			 Northern Ireland Office (4)— 27,890 (4)— 15,330 
			  
			  Security and Intelligence Services 
			 Security and Intelligence Services 25,490 28,980 24,500 25,240 
			  
			  Transport 
			 Department for Transport (excl agencies)(6) 27,660 31,330 (4)— 29,310 
			 Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency 17,010 17,010 16,460 17,010 
			 Driving Standards Agency 22,590 23,610 18,370 19,790 
			 Government Car and Despatch Agency 28,020 24,440 0 (4)— 
			 Highways Agency 22,110 20,590 20,320 20,310 
			 Maritime and Coastguard Agency n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 Office of Rail Regulation 26,820 40,050 (4)— 38,830 
			 Vehicle Certification Agency (4)— 33,260 (4)— 18,890 
			 Vehicle and Operator Services Agency 22,010 25,360 (4)— 19,560 
			  
			  Work and Pensions 
			 DWP Corporate Services 26,920 27,890 25,750 24,410 
			 DWP Shared Services 17,250 15,880 17,250 17,250 
			 Child Support Agency 17,250 15,300 17,250 15,300 
			 Disability and Carers Service 17,600 17,250 17,250 17,250 
			 Job Centre Plus 20,310 18,980 19,040 17,600 
			 Pension Service 17,600 16,780 17,250 17,250 
			 The Health and Safety Executive 23,660 31,310 30,230 24,500 
			 The Rent Service 24,750 23,310 0 18,710 
			  
			  Scottish Government 
			 Scottish Government (excl agencies) 27,320 22,860 26,110 19,150 
			 Communities Scotland 34,120 24,940 34,120 24,940 
			 Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service 17,570 (4)— 0 (4)— 
			 Courts Group (4)— (4)— 0 0 
			 Fisheries Research Services 24,910 23,710 23,150 (4)— 
			 General Register Scotland 23,710 18,120 16,610 12,900 
			 HM Inspectorate of Education 45,350 32,250 17,000 (4)— 
			 Historic Scotland 13,480 18,730 13,180 14,860 
			 Mental Health Tribunal for Scotland 16,610 14,650 (4)— (4)— 
			 National Archive for Scotland 24,810 20,730 18,960 (4)— 
			 Office of Accountant in Bankruptcy 15,960 19,240 (4)— 16,610 
			 Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator 28,520 20,360 0 0 
			 Registers of Scotland 16,650 20,110 21,430 21,870 
			 Scottish Agricultural Scientific Agency 25,560 15,740 24,910 (4)— 
			 Scottish Buildings Standards Agency 32,250 (4)— (4)— 0 
			 Scottish Court Service 16,390 16,990 15,670 15,570 
			 Scottish Fisheries Protection Agency 26,780 21,040 14,720 (4)— 
			 Scottish Prison Service 25,940 25,940 19,800 25,690 
			 Scottish Public Pensions Agency 16,610 14,690 16,610 16,610 
			 Social Work Inspection Agency 23,710 45,350 22,030 (4)— 
			 Student Awards Agency 16,610 15,820 16,610 (4)— 
			 Transport Scotland 32,250 25,020 29,450 (4)— 
			  
			  Welsh Assembly 
			 Welsh Assembly Government 22,200 25,340 22,200 22,200 
			 ESTYN (4)— 50,480 (4)— 18,910 
			 (1 )Numbers are rounded to the nearest 10. (2 )Table does not include individuals who did not declare a disability status. (3) Salaries of part-time staff are reported as a full-time equivalent figure. (4) Numbers less than five. (5) Figures for the Office for National Statistics exclude field staff who were not civil servants at the reference date. (6) Includes government office for the regions employees. (7 )Due to the self-reporting nature of disability and the process by which part time salaries are up-rated in order that they are comparable to full-time staff salaries, care should be exercised when drawing conclusions based on these statistics.  Source:  Annual Civil Service Employment Survey 
		
	
	Further data on the disabled status of civil service staff are available on the Office for National Statistics (ONS) website:
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/StatBase/Product.asp?vlnk=2899&Pos=&ColRank=1&Rank=422.

Children: Advertising

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what recent steps the Government have taken to regulate advertising aimed at children.

Jim Knight: All commercial broadcasters are subject to statutory standards codes governing broadcast advertising which they must comply with as a condition of their licence. Non-broadcast advertising in the UK is strictly controlled through industry self-regulation, administered by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA).
	Both the broadcast and non-broadcast advertising codes contain strict rules relating specifically to general children's advertising as well as specific rules preventing the promotion of products such as alcohol and cigarettes, as well as restricting food promotion to children.
	Changes introduced by Ofcom in February 2007 strengthened the rules for broadcast advertising of foods high in fat, salt and sugar—which may not be advertised in or adjacent to programmes commissioned for, principally directed at or likely to appeal particularly to audiences below the age of 16. Ofcom also set out new rules on the content of advertisements targeted at primary school children. These rules ban the use of celebrities and characters licensed from third-parties (such as cartoons), promotional claims (such as free gifts) and health or nutrition claims.
	Non-broadcast advertising rules, including on the-internet, were also strengthened in 2007.
	The new rules protect all children, defined as persons under 16. In addition, ASA/Committee of Advertising Practice have placed tougher restrictions on food or drink product adverts that are directly targeted at primary school or pre-school children
	through their content.

Children: Advertising

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what recent steps the Government has taken to assess the effect of advertising on children.

Jim Knight: This Government launched an independent assessment of the impact of the commercial world, with open calls for evidence, on 7 April 2008: The assessment is examining children's commercial world in the broadest sense, including: products; commercial messages; shopping; the market for children's good and services; and any further involvement that children may have. The assessment is not restricted to advertising.
	The assessment is being led by Professor David Buckingham—Professor of Education at the Institute of Education, London university. He is the founder and director of the Centre for the Study of Children, Youth and Media. The assessment panel is made up of leading experts from a range of disciplines.
	We think it is important that we reach a consensus as to what is changing for children with regard to the commercial world; how those changes impact on children, both positive and negative, and what children and parents really think.
	This assessment will report back to DCSF and DCMS in spring 2009.

Departmental Manpower

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much was spent on salaries for press and communications officers in  (a) his Department,  (b) its NDPBs and  (c) its agencies in each of the last three years.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The information is as follows.
	 (a) The Department for Children, Schools and Families was established in June 2007 and as a result we are only able to provide information from June 2007 to March 2008. The salary cost for employing press officers in the Department was £906,462 and the cost of employing communications officer was £2,582,579.
	 (b) The Department does not have any agencies.
	 (c) We do not hold costs for our non-departmental public bodies.

Departmental Standards

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what targets were not achieved by his Department in each of the last 10 years.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Department published its autumn performance report on 7 December 2007 and copies are available in the House Library (Cm 7279). The autumn performance report shows assessments of progress against my Department's Spending Review public service agreement (PSA) targets. Annex B contains summary tables showing final assessments for PSA targets from 1998. The 2008 departmental report (CM7391) published on 19 May 2008 included latest assessments of progress against Spending Review 2004 PSA targets and the 2008 autumn performance report due to be published later this year will include final assessments for those Spending Review 2004 PSA targets which have now come to an end.

Pupil Exclusions: Yorkshire and the Humber

Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many pupils in Yorkshire and the Humber were excluded for assaulting or threatening a teacher in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Beverley Hughes: My Department collects information on the reasons why pupils have been excluded, either for a fixed period or permanently. This includes categories for "physical assault against an adult" and "verbal abuse/threatening behaviour against an adult". It is not possible to determine if this relates to teachers or another adult within the school.
	Data on the reason for exclusion is available for 2003-04 onwards. However for 2005-06 this information is only available for secondary schools due to underlying changes in the data collection. The available information is shown in the table.
	
		
			  Primary, secondary and special schools( 1,)( )( 2) : number of permanent exclusions by reason of exclusion( 3) , 2003-04 to 2006-07( 4) —Yorkshire and the Humber Government office region 
			   Permanent exclusions 
			   Physical assault against an adult  Verbal abuse/threatening behaviour against an adult 
			 2003-04 160 90 
			 2004-05 150 100 
			 2005-06 (5)— (5)— 
			 2006-07 80 90 
			 (1) Includes middle schools as deemed. (2) Includes non-maintained special schools, CTCs and Academies. (3) For the years 2003-04 and 2004-05 the distribution of exclusions by reason has been derived from Termly Exclusions Survey returns and applied to the number of permanent exclusions as confirmed by local authorities as part of the Schools' Census data checking exercise. (4) Totals have been rounded to the nearest 10. (5) For 2005-06 available figures relate to secondary schools only, these show 70 permanent exclusions for physical assault against an adult and 80 permanent exclusions for verbal abuse/threatening behaviour against an adult.  Source: Termly Exclusions Survey and School Census 
		
	
	
		
			  Primary, secondary and special schools( 1,2) : number of fixed period exclusions by reason of exclusion( 3) , 2003-04 to 2006-07( 4) —Yorkshire and the Humber Government office region 
			   Fixed period exclusions 
			   Physical assault against an adult  Verbal abuse/threatening behaviour against an adult 
			 2003-04 2,410 10,630 
			 2004-05 2,340 10,670 
			 2005-06 (5)— (5)— 
			 2006-07 2,220 11,070 
			 (1) Includes middle schools as deemed. (2) For 2003-04 and 2004-05 excludes non-maintained special schools and CTCs. (3) For the years 2003-04 and 2004-05 the distribution of exclusions by reason has been derived from Termly Exclusions Survey, for 2005-06 onwards it is derived from the School Census. (4) Totals have been rounded to the nearest 10. (5) For 2005-06 available figures relate to secondary schools only, these show 1,140 fixed period exclusions for physical assault against an adult and 10,280 fixed period exclusions for verbal abuse/threatening behaviour against an adult.  Source: Termly Exclusions Survey and School Census

School Leaving: Qualifications

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many letters he has received from members of the public on the 14 to 19 diplomas in the last three months; and what percentage of those letters have supported the programme.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Over last three months we have received a total of 113 pieces of correspondence in regard to diplomas. Of which four (4.52 per cent.) were specifically in support of the introduction of diplomas. The remaining 109 pieces of correspondence were general inquiries.

Young Offenders: General Certificate for Secondary Education

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many and what proportion of people who had been in young offender institutions for  (a) less than and  (b) more than two years were entered for GCSEs in each of the last five years.

Beverley Hughes: The Department does not collect data on GCSE enrolments by young people in young offender institutions (YOIs) broken down by length of stay in custody. However, the roll-out of the Offender Learning and Skills Service (OLASS) through the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) from 31 July 2006, means that some data on young offender enrolment within YOIs is now collected. Data is only available for 2006/07, during which 95 young people were enrolled on one or more GCSE course.
	However, many young people in custody are still enrolled at learning providers in the community and therefore their enrolments are not included in the figure provided. Also, many young people stay in custody only for a very short time, and therefore it is not always realistic for them to enrol on and achieve long-term qualifications (e.g. GCSEs), in custody. Therefore, the LSC figure quoted in this answer does not provide records of all of the enrolments of all young people in YOIs. Data is not available for GCSE achievements for young people in Secure Children's Homes, Secure Training Centres, or privately run YOIs.

Public Houses

Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport 
	(1)  how many public houses have been opened in  (a) Jarrow constituency,  (b) South Tyneside,  (c) the North East and  (d) England in each of the last five years;
	(2)  how many public houses owned by a pub company there were in  (a) Jarrow constituency,  (b) South Tyneside,  (c) the North East and  (d) England in each of the last five years;
	(3)  how many public houses have closed in  (a) Jarrow constituency,  (b) South Tyneside,  (c) the North East and  (d) England in each of the last five years.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The requested data is not centrally held.

Sports: North East

Doug Henderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assistance his Department is giving to third sector organisations in the North East region to support the development and work of local voluntary sports clubs.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Sport England has advised that within the North East over the last two years there has been significant work with third sector organisations to support the development and work of local voluntary sports clubs.
	Sport England in the North East, working with County Sports Partnerships, provided over £520,000 to deliver subsidised education training and development opportunities for grass roots volunteering and voluntary community sports organisations. Work has also continued with the LSC and Skills Active to provide appropriate training opportunities for volunteers.
	The region's 2012 legacy ambitions also highlight volunteering as a key area of work over the next four years. The Regional Volunteering Strategy was driven by the 2012 Volunteering Theme Group and will provide the framework for future work in the region, specifically around the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic games.

Sports: Per Capita Costs

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to the answer of 19 March 2008,  Official Report, columns 1157-58W, on sports: per capita costs, what the per capita spend on sport from  (a) public and  (b) national lottery sources was in each (i) Government region and (ii) local authority area in each of the last three years.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Pursuant to the answer I gave on 19 March 2008,  Official  Report, columns 1157-58W, Sport England has advised that the following per capita expenditure was made to each Government region in each of the last three years from public and national lottery sources. To provide similar information by local authority area could be provided only at disproportionate cost:
	
		
			  Spend per capita (£) 
			  Government region  Exchequer  Lottery 
			  2005-06   
			 Eastern 0.25 1.29 
			 East Midlands 0.85 2.28 
			 London 0.85 0.95 
			 North East 0.23 1.71 
			 North West 0.37 4.00 
			 South East 0.31 1.21 
			 South West 0.20 0.75 
			 West Midlands 0.37 1.11 
			 Yorks and Humberside 1.20 1.61 
			
			  2006-07   
			 Eastern 0.40 0.93 
			 East Midlands 1.16 0.55 
			 London 1.04 0.59 
			 North East 0.81 2.00 
			 North West 0.83 0.50 
			 South East 0.43 0.42 
			 South West 0.64 0.66 
			 West Midlands 0.50 0.68 
			 Yorks and Humberside 1.79 0.46 
			
			  2007-08   
			 Eastern 0.51 0.80 
			 East Midlands 0.38 2.29 
			 London 0.26 2.17 
			 North East 0.33 1.24 
			 North West 0.27 1.07 
			 South East 0.21 2.03 
			 South West 0.32 1.27 
			 West Midlands 0.41 1.19 
			 Yorks and Humberside 0.31 0.51